Portable display, storage and transport case

ABSTRACT

A unique design for portable cases for the display of art, craft and trade objects is described. The design is for portable display cases that are multi-functional and more useful to the artisan than existing art display techniques. The portable display cases are durable, lightweight, and are capable of easy placement into multiple arrays. They can be finished in a variety of attractive appearances to better feature the displayed object and match the needs of the user. Furthermore the portable display cases can be nested for ease of transport, they are stackable for appearance and they can be made fire retardant. Finally and of additional importance to the user, they can be used to store and transport the items meant for display. This design feature effectively reduces the risk of theft or damage to the art, craft or trade objects during transport or storage. Finally the manufacture of the cases is simple, inexpensive and customizable to meet the needs of the user.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PARENT APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/859,267, filed May 17, 2001, Portable Displayand Storage Case, which case claims the benefits under 35 U.S.C. 19(e)of provisional patent application serial No. 60/204,921 filed on May 17,2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of portable displaycases, and particularly, portable display cases that are durable andlightweight, that are capable of easy placement into multiple arrays,that can be manufactured in a variety of attractive appearances, thatcan be nested for compact storage and easier transport, that can bestackable for appearance, that can be made fire retardant and that canbe used to store and transport the items meant for display.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0003] Display cases are well known in the art. Many types and users ofdisplay cases exist. One example of their use includes people whodisplay merchandise at trade shows and art fairs. These users must carrytheir merchandise from show to show and often set up their display casesfor only short times. Numerous trade shows, antique fairs, and fleamarkets are held in the U.S. each year attracting thousands ofexhibitors and customers. Exhibitors desire to set up their displaysquickly and efficiently and to secure their merchandise from damage.Exhibitors also prefer to have their merchandise attractively displayed.When floor space is expensive or limited, exhibitors wish the bestdisplay and layout possible for the space provided and for the itemsdisplayed.

[0004] Some display cases are simply lightweight shelves, which can bemodified to create an attractive appearance or to display specific typesof merchandise. These provide little security and may not besufficiently stable to display fragile merchandise. When fashioned toprovide stability, they become too heavy for easy travel. Other displaycases come in the form of fixed wall cases with a hinged glass orplastic top which lifts up so that objects can be placed in and/orremoved therefrom. The tops of these can be locked so that themerchandise within the case is attractively displayed and viewed easilyby potential customers. This type of display case is frequently heavy,difficult to transport and provides a limited amount of display area.Larger cases made of glass or other transparent material can provideadditional shelves for the display of merchandise but are difficult tomove as they are heavy and take up a great deal of space. Furthermore,although these cases can be locked for some level of security, the itemscontained within remain visible during transport making them prone to“smash and grab” opportunistic theft.

[0005] Other types of display cases with knock-down construction havebeen developed. These include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,680to Griggs and U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,303 to Conway. In such display cases,the top and sides can be separated from one another and the case, oncedismantled, is collapsible, taking up much less space. Another displaycase of knock-down construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,233to Page. While these are generally easy to transport, they don't provideeffective storage capability or security for the displayed merchandiseand are perceived as less rigid or permanent and therefore lessdesirable for heavier merchandise. Furthermore, they necessitate both abreak down and set up step for their transport and use; this isinconvenient for users who are traveling to many trade shows.

[0006] Portable containers or cabinets, including portable orcollapsible cabinets, are also known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,650 to Morrisdiscloses a portable cabinet structure of molded plastic for housingelectronic equipment. These are generally permanent structures, however,and they can be very heavy, reducing their mobility. Furthermore, theycan appear to be of poor quality subjecting the merchandise to a biasbecause of such poor display. When they are made completely oftransparent materials, the merchandise is visible while beingtransported, leaving the merchandise open to opportunistic theft. Thesecontainers are often not fire retardant and can cause damage to thedisplayed merchandise and its surroundings if they are exposed to fire.

[0007] With the limitations of these designs in place, the inventiondisclosed herein provides for a portable display case which is permanentand non-collapsible and provides a light weight, a professionalappearance, the ability to stack or nest different sized cases togetherfor ease of storage, can be made of fire retardant materials and canstore the displayed merchandise securely within the case itself toreduce visibility and reduce the potential for opportunistic theft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The instant invention is an improved portable display case forthe display of merchandise such as art objects, antiques and the like.It is constructed of lightweight materials for easy transport. Thedisplay case can be nested or different sized cases can be placed withinone another for improved storage and transport. Several display casescan be stacked to increase the number of possible display arrangements.The display case is constructed to provide long-term storage formerchandise and for security during transport of the merchandise. Itprovides a professional appearance for merchandise on display. It ismade from durable materials to maintain stability and increase lifetimeand it is preferably made of fire retardant materials to improve safety.Multiple display cases can be arranged to provide a pleasing setup andto match the dimensions of the display area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a cut away side view of the disclosed display case withan art object displayed;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a cut away side view of the disclosed display case withan art object stored inside.

[0011]FIG. 3 is an exploded side view of the preferred embodiment of thedisclosed display case;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a side view of a smaller display cases placed in adisplay case of the next size; and

[0013]FIG. 5 is a top view of a molded display case with the coveringremoved and with another display case stored inside.

[0014]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a dado joint.

[0015]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a rabbet joint.

[0016]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a box within a box design,showing an article within the inner box, and an outercovering around theouter box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The invention is a portable display case to professionallydisplay merchandise at trade shows, antique/collectible shows, fleamarkets, fairs, traveling museums, etc. The display case is a box havinga polygon shape, such as a rectangle or a square.

[0018] In a preferred use, FIG. 1 shows a cutaway view of the displaycase with an art object 100 displayed atop. The case is comprised of top102, front 104, right side 106, rear 108, left side (not shown) andbottom 110 elements. These elements are composed of a lightweightmaterial such as R5 Styrofoam or other rigid insulating materials. Oneinch R5 sheeting is preferred for display cases with smaller dimensionswhile two inch R5 sheeting is preferred for larger display cases. Othersizes of the sheeting are possible. The bottom 110, front 104, rear 108,right side 106 and left side (not shown) elements are permanentlyattached together using an appropriate securing method applicable to thematerial of manufacture. These can include adhesives and/or nails orscrews to further secure these elements. The top 102 element isremovable to expose space for storage of merchandise as shown in FIG. 2or for nesting of one or more smaller display cases. In a preferredembodiment, the top 102 element contains a top cover 112 comprised of alightweight material such as plywood, wood paneling, plastic laminate orCorian® to enhance the stability of the displayed item and to improvethe appearance of the display platform. This top cover 112 rests flushalong the top edge of the front 104, rear 108, right side 106 and leftside (not shown) elements. An optional wall covering 114 of carpet,fabric or another appropriate lightweight material can be added tofurther enhance the aesthetic appearance of the display case. This wallcovering is preferably of a fire retardant material.

[0019] The use of the display case to store items is shown in theexploded view of FIG. 2. The case contains top 202, front 206, rightside 204, rear 208, left side (not shown) and bottom 210 elements aswell as the top covering 212 and wall covering 214. The art object 200is placed inside the case for storage and/or transport. Styrofoampeanuts, paper, bubble wrap or other suitable packing materials can beincluded inside the display case to further protect the art object 200.

[0020] Shown in greater detail in the exploded side view of FIG. 3, thedisplay case is comprised of top 308, bottom 316, front (not shown),rear 318 and side 312, 314 wall elements. These elements are composed ofa lightweight material such as R5 Styrofoam or other rigid insulatingmaterials. One inch R5 sheeting is preferred for display cases withsmaller dimensions, one and one-half inch R5 sheeting is preferred forintermediate sized cases while two inch R5 sheeting is preferred forlarger display cases. The top element 308 contains a top cover 310comprised of a lightweight material such as plywood, wood paneling,plastic laminate or Corian® to enhance the stability of the displayeditem and to improve the appearance of the display platform. The bottom316, front, rear 318 and side 312, 314 wall elements are permanentlyattached together using an appropriate securing method applicable to thematerial of manufacture. These can include adhesives and/or nails orscrews to further secure these elements. The top 308 element withattached top covering 308 is removable to expose space for storage ofmerchandise or, as illustrated in FIG. 4, for nesting of one or moresmaller display cases comprised of an appropriately smaller sized top408, top covering 410, bottom 416, front (not shown), rear 418 and side412, 414 wall elements within the wall elements 312, 314, 316 of thefirst display case. Merchandise can be further protected by the additionof tissue, bubble wrap, packing foam, etc. The wall elements of thedisplay case can be of any width applicable to the items being display,for example twenty-two inches and twenty-four inches are common forpottery and stoneware. Heights of the front, rear and side wall elementsof the display case are generally less than eight feet, and heightsbeyond eight feet can require additional reinforcement depending uponthe material of manufacture. Heights in the range of four to six feetare common and units can be stacked whereby display cases less than fourfeet in height can be stacked on other display cases, tables or shelvesto achieve an optimal display height. The thickness of the wall elementsis dependent on the size of the display case and is generally betweenone and three inches.

[0021] In order to improve appearance of the display cases, the front,rear and side wall elements can be covered with carpet or other fabricmaterials or manufacture in a faux pattern, depending upon the materialof manufacture. When carpet or fabrics are used, it is preferable thatthe materials be fire retardant. These coverings can be secured usingadhesives, such as 3M Insulation 78 spray adhesive or Elmers Pro Brandpolyurethane glue, or other securing devices such as dry wall nails, drywall screws or another lightweight nail. The removable top preferablycontains a top covering 310 composed of Corian®, finished plywood, woodpaneling or plastic laminate and an interior top section 308, havingexternal dimensions equal or are slightly less than the internaldimensions of the front, rear 318 and side 312, 314 wall elements of thedisplay case. This interior top section 308 is centered and adhered tothe bottom side of the top covering 310. This interior section 308prevents the top from being unintentionally slid off the case while thetop covering 310 gives the displayed item a stable platform and canprovide a visually pleasing display surface. Other methods, such aslatches, etc., can be used to secure the top to the side wall elementsand will be evident to those skilled in the art.

[0022] To improve the user's ability to position the display cases andcreate a desirable overall display, a hook and loop connector such assold under the trademark Velcro®, or other means for reversibleattaching two or more display cases together, can be added to the wallelements and preferably to the rear wall elements. This can includestrips or swatches of Velcro®, placed so that the display cases can bealigned into a preferred display arrangement and attached togethersecurely to prevent inadvertent movement.

[0023] In one embodiment, the bottom, front, rear and side wall elementsare comprised of one inch thick Styrofoam brand residential foaminsulation (Dow) or R5. The front and rear wall elements areapproximately twenty-one inches across by four feet high and the sidewall elements are approximately twenty-two inches across by four feethigh. The bottom wall element is approximately twenty-two inches acrosson each side and uses roughly a one half inch deep, one inch wide, dadojoint approximately one inch from the bottom of the wall elements toconnect to the wall elements. A dado is illustrated in FIG. 6 and isdefined as a rectangular groove cut into a board so that a like piecemay be fitted into it and as the groove so cut. The definition is fromAmerican Heritage Talking Dictionary. Copyright © 1997 The LearningCompany, Inc.

[0024] The wall elements are connected by a rabbet connection cutapproximately one half inch into the vertical edge of each side, frontand rear wall element. A rabbet is illustrated in FIG. 7 and is definedas a cut or groove along or near the edge of a piece of wood that allowsanother piece to fit into it to form a join and the joint so made. Thedefinition is excerpted from American Heritage Talking Dictionary.Copyright © 1997 The Learning Company, Inc.

[0025] The dado joint described above is a rectangular channel cutacross the face of the wall element. It is commonly used to house theend of an adjoining board. If can also be referred to as a groovedepending on whether the cut is with or against the grain of wallelements. Dadoes and grooves are made using the same general techniques.Both offer increased glue surface area over butt joints, help inalignment and provide increased mechanical strength.

[0026] The rabbet joint described above is essentially an open-sideddado on the edge of a wall element. The resultant notch, or step, is auseful joint for cabinet or box corners, and also serves to houserecessed components such as cabinet backs, panels, glass and mirrors.Both rabbet and dado joints are well known in the art and are commonlyused for a variety of products.

[0027] The joint connections are glued together using polyurethane glueor the like. Dry wall nails can be added to hold the assembled wallelements together while the glue dries. These nails can be removed afterthe glue dries. The external membrane found on the R5 is removed and aspray adhesive, such as 3M insulation 78 or the like, is applied to theoutside surface of the front, rear and side wall elements. A fireretardant wall carpet, including Front Runner brand is cut to cover thefront, rear and side wall elements and attached. The top element is slabstock made from methacrylate resin and sold under the trademark Corian®is cut to match the outside dimensions of the assembled display case.One inch thick, rigid polystyrene foam, commonly called Styrofoam, iscentered and glued to the bottom side of the top element such that theouter dimensions of said Styrofoam match the internal dimensions of theassembled bottom, front, rear and side wall elements.

[0028] In an alternate embodiment, the bottom, front, rear and side wallelements are comprised of two inch thick Styrofoam brand residentialfoam insulation (Dow) or R5. Equivalent rigid styrene foam blocks, orpanels can be used. The front and rear wall elements are twenty-fourinches across by five feet high and the side wall elements are fifteeninches across by five feet high. The bottom wall element is twenty-threeinches by fifteen inches across on the sides and uses a one and one-halfinch deep, one-inch wide dado joint approximately one inch from thebottom of the wall elements to connect to the wall elements. The wallelements are connected by a rabbet connection cut one and one halfinches into the vertical edge of each side, front and rear wall element.They are glued together using polyurethane glue or the like. Lightweightscrews are added to hold the assembled wall elements together while theglue dries. These screws are removed after the glue dries. A sprayadhesive (3M insulation 78) is applied to the outside surface of thefront, rear, and side wall elements. The external membrane found on theR5 is removed and a fire retardant wall carpet, cut to cover the front,rear and side wall elements, is attached. The top element is culturedmarble cut to match the outside dimensions of the assembled displaycase. One inch thick Styrofoam is glued to the bottom side of the topelement such that the outer dimensions of said Styrofoam match theinternal dimensions of the assembled bottom, front, rear and side wallelements.

[0029] The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 has been molded into thedesired form rather than being designed from sheets glued together. Aninterior display case 506 has been placed within the exterior displaycase 502, providing a small clearance 504 between the two display cases.

[0030] In another embodiment, three display cases are produced using oneand one-half inch R5 Styrofoam, the first case with external dimensionsof twenty-four inches across by five feet high on the sides. The case isassembled as described above. Carpet and plywood are used for theexternal appearance of the walls and top respectively. The second casehas external dimensions of twenty-one inches across by four andthree-quarters feet high on the side elements. The case is alsoassembled as described above. Carpet and plywood are again used for theexternal appearance. The second case is designed to be stackable on topof or nested inside the first. The third case has external dimensions ofeighteen inches across by four and one half feet high on the sideelements. The case is assembled as described above. Carpet and plywoodare again used for the external appearance. The third case is designedto be stackable on top of or nested inside the second. Additional casescan be stacked as desired and additional designs for stack-ability canbe produced such that ease of transport of empty display cases isafforded.

[0031]FIG. 6 shows a dado joint 322 with the dada groove being cut intothe bottom panel 316. FIG. 7 shows a rabbet joint 722 formed in both thebottom and side panels. Alternatively, the rabbet joint can be form ineither the bottom panel or the side panel, though the use of a pair ofrabbet joints is preferred.

[0032]FIG. 8 illustrates a box-within-a-box design and shows an object808 within the inner box. The outer covering 800 can be a methacrylateslab, of the type sold under the trademark Corian, or carpeting. In oneembodiment the sides can be carpeted and the top formed of plywood orpolymeric resin, and in another embodiment, the use of carpeting and ahard surface material can be reversed. The use of a hard surfacematerial on the top 802 of the box is preferred because it provides asuperior support surface. The inner box can be of the same design or ofan alternate design.

[0033] The preceding examples are provided for descriptive purposessolely and are not meant to limit the embodiments of the invention.Other configurations of the portable display case will become apparentto those of ordinary skill in the art.

1. A method for storing, transporting or displaying an art object,comprising: a) providing a display case comprising: upper, lower, front,rear and side elements, wherein at least said lower, front, rear andside elements of the display case are composed of polystyrene foam,wherein said lower element connects to said front, rear and sideelements along the bottom edge of said front, rear and side elements,wherein said front, rear and side elements connect to one another alongthe vertical edges of said front, rear and side elements, wherein saidlower, front, rear and side elements form a container capable of storingitems for display, and wherein said upper element forms a removable lidthat fits within said front, rear and side elements and wherein said lidcontains a top surface capable of holding displayed items; and b)storing, transporting or displaying said art object on or within saiddisplay case.
 2. A method for storing, transporting, or displaying oneor more art objects comprising: a) providing a display case systemcomprised of a plurality of display cases, wherein the display cases areof increasing size, and wherein smaller sized display cases are of adimension such that they are capable of being stored inside larger sizeddisplay cases, and wherein the display cases are capable of beingattached to each other to form a single display unit, and wherein eachdisplay case is comprised of upper, lower, front, rear and sideelements, wherein at least said lower, front, rear and side elements ofthe display case are composed of polystyrene foam, wherein said lowerelement connects to said front, rear and side elements along the bottomedge of said front, rear and side elements, where said front, rear andside elements connect to one another along the vertical edges of saidfront, rear and side elements, where said lower, front, rear and sideelements form a container capable of storing items for display, whereinsaid upper element forms a removable lid that fits within the front,rear and side elements, and wherein said lid contains a top surfacecapable of holding displayed items, and b) storing at least one smallerdisplay case inside at least one larger sized display case, and c)transporting, storing or displaying the one or more art objects on orwithin the display case system
 18. The method of claim 16 furthercomprising the steps of adhesively bonding said front, rear, side andbottom elements.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the front, rear andside wall elements are connected to one another using rabbet joints cutat least one-half inch into the vertical edge of said front, rear andside elements and where said rabbet joints are secured using anadhesive.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the side orrear elements contains hook and loop connectors to enable a plurality ofcases to be attached to each other in a plurality of configurations andfurther comprising the step of hook and loop attaching a plurality ofcases to each other.
 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein step b)comprises displaying said art objection or within the display case.
 6. Amethod according to claim 2, wherein step b) is displaying the one ormore art objects, and step b) is accomplished by: c) removing at leastone respectively smaller display case from at least one respectivelylarger display case, d) attaching the cases to each other to form asingle display system having display cases of varying size, and e)displaying art objects on or within the display system.
 7. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein step b) comprises storing and transportingthe art object, and wherein step b) is accomplished by storing said artobject inside the display case, and transporting said display case withsaid stored art object.
 8. A method according to claim 2, wherein stepb) is storing and transporting one or more art objects, and wherein stepb) is accomplished by placing a first display case within a secondlarger sized display case, and placing said second larger sized displaycase containing said stored first display case within a third largestsized display case, and transporting or storing the stacked displaycases.
 9. A display case system, comprising: a) a plurality of displaycases, wherein the display cases are of increasing size, and whereinsmaller sized display cases are of a dimension such that they arecapable of being stored inside larger sized display cases, and whereinthe display cases are capable of being attached to each other to form asingle display unit, and wherein each display case is comprised ofupper, lower, front, rear and side elements, wherein at least saidlower, front, rear and side elements of the display case are composed ofpolystyrene foam, wherein said lower element connects to said front,rear and side elements along the bottom edge of said front, rear andside elements, wherein said front, rear and side elements connect to oneanother along the vertical edges of said front, rear and side elements,wherein said lower, front, rear and side elements form a containercapable of storing items for display, wherein said upper element forms aremovable lid that fits within the front, rear and side elements, andwherein said lid contains a top surface capable of holding displayeditems.
 10. The display case system according to claim 9 wherein thefront, rear and side elements are covered with carpet or a fireretardant fabric.
 11. The display case system according to claim 10,wherein at least one of the side or rear elements contains hook and loopconnectors to enable multiple display cases to be attached to each otherin a plurality of configurations.
 12. The display case system accordingto claim 10, wherein the upper, lower, front, rear and side elements areR5 polystyrene foam of a thickness of about one inch to about twoinches, and where said top surface is selected from the group comprisingplastic laminate, plywood, wood paneling, and slab stock comprised ofmethacrylate resin.
 13. The display case system according to claim 10,wherein said front, rear, side and bottom elements are adhesivelybonded.
 14. The display case system according to claim. 10, wherein atleast one of the side or rear elements contains hook and loop connectorsto enable a plurality of cases to be attached to each other in aplurality of configurations and wherein a plurality of cases are hookand loop attached to each other.
 15. The display case system accordingto claim 10, wherein said bottom element is connected to said front,rear and side wall elements using dado joints wherein said dado jointshave a depth selected from the group comprising about one-half inch,about one inch or about one and one-half inches, a width of about oneinch and wherein said dado joints are cut about one inch from the bottomedges of said front, rear and side elements.
 16. The display case systemaccording to claim 10, wherein said front, rear and side elements arecovered with carpet.
 17. The display case system according to claim 16,wherein said carpet is fire retardant.
 18. The display case systemaccording to claim 10, wherein said front, rear and side elements arecovered with fabric.
 19. The display case system according to claim 18,wherein said fabric is fire retardant.
 20. The display case systemaccording to claim 10, wherein said lower, front, rear and side elementsare substantially rectangular and said upper and lower elements aresubstantially square.